There are a few trends in the automotive and personal transportation segment that have changed the way modern workers commute and travel. This article looks at some of these travel trends and discusses the rationale for these changes.
Rideshare
Being able to travel with others in a rideshare is becoming popular, and there are a number of apps that have surfaced wherein you can link up with others traveling to the same destination by car. Based on the current social distancing restrictions, there are now some additional risk mitigation strategies required, but it is a trend likely to continue as many look to limit the amount of lone car traveling that they do.
Bespoke and personalized
Personalization is trending in a big way, whether you treat yourself to motorbike number plates or car wraps and colors.People want to travel in vehicles that also express their personality. The current saying in automotive sales is that personalized is the new black. Customers more increasingly want both a personalized buying experience, but also a particularly personalized vehicle in terms of security, sound, color, interior, communications, poweroutput, and safety. All of theseaspects are being adjusted and changed to suit the driver.
Smaller engines for fuel economy
The engine size of city cars has steadily been reduced as manufacturers tap into a societal wide need to reduce fuel consumption. You definitely don’t need 8 cylinders to move a car, and as the vehicles themselves get smaller, so too are the engines, and a 1.4 engine will easily be able to generate enough power for a small city car. A 1 liter3-cylinder engine of today is as powerful as the 1.6 4-cylinder engines of the past.
The hybrid commute
Many office staff and inner-city workers now use a form of hybrid commute that could be a mix of various modes of transport to suit both their budgets and in an attempt to green their route to work. It is generally a mix of train, tram, bus, own vehicle, and electric scooter. It all depends on how far from the office they live, as once in close proximity, the e-scooter or a brisk walk have replaced the vehicle in inner-city areas.
Greener fuel options
Drivers now look for the greenest fuel option available. Electric vehicles are still probably a bit too expensive for all, but as innovation improves, costs are reducing, and the hybrid vehicle market is seeing huge growth. There are also a wider range of options than ever before, and from using bioethanol, unleaded fuel, hydrogen, and Liquified petroleum gas (LPG), drivers are simply choosing what they think is the best fuel option for the economy as well as to do them but to save the planet.
Many have professed the demise of anything but the electric motor car and have heralded personal e-scooters and public transport as the inner-city solution. This article has argued that the motor car is actually simply being re-invented and yes, electric vehicles will be the future of personal transport, but until then, there are a number of trends that see a different type, style, and size of the vehicle on our roads. It’s an exciting time for anyone in the industry and drivers alike.
